Dennis DeYoung podcast: Reunions and Roboto

Dennis DeYoung gave me one of the most extraordinary interviews in my six years of Stuck in the '80s. For 90 minutes, he and I talked about everything that popped into our minds: his beloved accordion, my organ lessons as a pre-teen ("Lowry Organ, right in the middle of the family room!" Dennis rightly guessed.) But also the legacy of Styx, his solo career and even whether he and his former bandmates will get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ("Maybe we don't belong there.")

At times, we went on and off the record as well, leading me to ultimately trim the interview down to an hour -- still the longest interview in our podcast history. Click here to download the full show. (Or click here to get all our podcasts for free via iTunes.)

And of course, I asked him about the need for a reconciliation and ultimately a reunion with Tommy Shaw and James Young. "I'm not the one standing in the way of that happening," he insisted.

In other words, it's not happening anytime soon, though it should. Life is short. And like Dennis, I think Styx and its legacy would benefit most from having Tommy, JY and DDY together again.

If you doubt DeYoung's talent, try to get a ticket to Friday's concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, where Dennis will be playing the songs of Styx along with the Florida Orchestra. Seats are going fast and a sellout is almost a certainty.

Could Styx-Without-Dennis sell out the venue? Hmmm. But Styx-With-Dennis? Imagine the possibilities.

About this blog

Relive the '80s music, movies and culture with Tampa Bay Times correspondent Steve Spears. A teen during the greatest decade ever, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to big hair.